Open hearth charging device



2 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1943. w H MURSCH OPEN HEARTH CHARGING DEVICEFiled April 27 1942 6 fl w M1 firm 4 5 "m w 4 5 m E [W8 2 M w a 6 E 2MW, 1 m 13 0 M Patented Mar. 23, 1943 OPEN HEARTH CHARGING DEVICEWilliam H. Mnrsch, Grafton, Pa., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois SteelCorporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 27, 1942,Serial No. 440,701

6 Claims. (01. 214-26) The present invention relates to specificstructural features of design and construction of open hearth chargingmachines and particularly to improved means for coupling a chargingmachine peel to a charging box.

Heretofore charging boxes for open hearth furnaces have usually includedan open topped box with a socket formed at the end into which theextremity of the peel of the charging machine is lowered and locked inplace so that the box can be raised from a car, moved into an openhearth furnace and inverted to empty its contents.

Conventional charging boxes, as made prior to my invention, haveinherent defects. For example, prior art charging boxes have been soconstructed that the material was apt to fall into the socket andinterfere with proper coupling of the box with the peel. Moreover, inprior constructions the charging machine peel must be very accuratelyspotted before it can be lowered into the socket and it must be stoppedat exactly the correct location in order to permit the entry of theusual locking pin, which must be properly positioned before the chargingbox can be lifted. If the peel is not stopped at the correct point inits downward stroke, either the peel or the socket of the charging boxis very apt to be broken due to the peel striking the bottom of thesocket. The same difficulty can be expected with the prior artconstruction when the box is bein returned to the buggy after it isemptied in the event the peel is not brought to rest at the instant thebox touches the top of the bug y. In prior art constructions the bearingsurfaces must necessarily be very small, thus causing an undue amount ofwear on the peel and the locking pin. The prior constructions are alsoobjectionable in that the locking pin normally carries the full weightof the-charging box and its contents while it is being lifted into thefurnace.

The present invention aims to overcome the above and other inherentdefects in the prior art charging machine apparatus. An outstandingcharacteristic of the present invention is that coupling means areprovided which are so designed that instead of lowering the peel into asocket it is raised up for interengagement with cross bars incorporatedin the and structure of the box.

A further feature is that the rear wall 01 the box is provided with ashield extension overlying the parts which detachably connect thecharging box with the peel, thus preventing pieces of material fromdropping onto the cross bars which would interfere with the operation ofcoupling the peel of the charging machine with the box.

The above and other features of the invention will be fully apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a charging box embodying certain features ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line IIII1I of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the charging box as viewed from theright of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a view illustrating the relative position of a charging boxand a coupling head on the extremity of a charging machine peel Justprior to the time the two are about to be engaged;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating the relativepositions of the parts after the coupling head of the peel has beenoperatively engaged with the charging box;

Figure '1 is a small scale cross sectional view of a charging machineshowing the charging box in the position it occupies after it has beenlifted from the scrap buggy and is about to be entered into the openhearth furnace; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the parts after the peelhas projected the charging box into the furnace and inverted it so as todischarge the contents thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l0 represents somewhatconventionally a known form of open hearth furnace charging machinewhich is adapted to traverse tracks I! which extend in front of abattery of open hearth furnaces, one of which is indicated at M.Paralleling the furnace there is a narrow gauge track it along whichtravels a scrap car or buggy l8 which supports a plurality of chargingboxes 20. The charging machine I 0 is equipped with a conventional formof peel 22, the construction of which is well known to those skilled inthe art. This peel is driven by power mechanism indicateddiagrammatically at 24 mounted on the charging machine. The peel, as iswell known to those skilled in the art, is capable of having a longstroke imparted thereto and is arranged to be lowered or lifted so as toperiodically pick up charging boxes filled with scrap from the car Itand to project them into the furnace where they are inverted, assuggested in Figure 8.

The present invention is directed to specific features of designand'construction of the charging box and to the means for detachablycoupling The rear wall 44 of the box is offset inwardlyfrom the rearextremities 48 of the side walls,

thus providing an open ended rear compartment 48 which is adapted toaccommodate the coupler head indicated as a whole at 58, which issecured to a flange 52 carried by the outer extremity of the peel 22.The coupler head may be a separate piece, as shown, or .it may beintegrally secured to the peel, as will be obvious to those skilled inthe art. 7

An upper cross bar 54 extends transversely from the side walls 88 and38, thus bridging the upper portion of the chamber 48. A similar crossbar 58 is located below and slightly forward of the bar 54 and alsobridges the space between the side walls 38 and 38. The upper extremityof the rear wall 44 is bent over into a substantially horizontal planeand extended rearwardly so as to form a shield58 which overlaps aportion of the upper cross bar 54. As thus constructed and arranged theshield extension 58 is effective to prevent foreign matter, such asparticles of scrap or ore,'from dropping onto the cross bars, whichparticles would interfere with the proper coupling of the parts.

The coupling head 58 secured to the end of the peel includes respectiveupper and lower seats 88 and 62 and respective keeper lugs 54 and 66adapted for interengagement with the upper and lower cross bars 54 and58. The coupling head may be said to have respective seats and keeperlugs for detachable interlocking engagement with the cross bars whichbridge the shielded chamber 48 at the rear extremity of the chargingbox. This chamber is of restricted width slightly greater than thetransverse width of the coupling head. Thus the coupler head isprevented from moving laterally within the chamber by the side chamber.boundary wall plates 48 and As above constructed and arranged, assumingthe charging box is located on the scrap buggy i8, the peel 22 canbecaused to move to the position approximately indicated in Figure 5 wherethe coupling head 50 is disposed in a plane which will permit the sameto be freely moved toward the box below the cross bars 54 and 56. Afterthe peel has been positioned at the elevation shown in Figure 5, theoperator will actuate known types of control levers on the chargingmachine mechanism 24 so as to advance the peel toward the charging boxand then cause it to elevate. Thus the interengagement between thecoupling head 58 and the cross bars on the charging box shown in Figure6 will be effected. Observation of Figure 6 will show that with the peelin the elevated position, the cross bars 54 and 56 engage the seats 80and 82 and the keeper lugs 84 and 88 overlap the inner face of the crossbars. With the peel in this posi- Joint action of the locking member IIIwith the several keeper lugs and the upper and lower cross bars.

With the parts thus interlocked the peel can be operated so as toproject the charging box into the interior-of the open hearth furnacel4, for example to theposition shown in Figure 8, whereupon the operatorcauses the peel 22 to rotate on its longitudinal axis to thus invert thebox and dump the contents thereof into the furnace.

From the foregoing it is apparent that apparatus embodying the improvedstructural features of the present invention overcomes a number of theinherent defects in the prior art-devices hereinbefore referred to. Forexample, the shield extension 58 on the rear wall of my improvedcharging box serves to prevent pieces of material from dropping onto thecross bars where they would interfere with the peel of the chargingmachine. The improved apparatus is also so constructed and arranged thatit need not be stopped during its forward and upward motion whenengaging the box in order to seat the locking member since the machineis so arranged as to permit operation of this member while the peel isin motion. The same applies to the unlocking operation when the box isbeing returned to the buggy [8.

In the improved apparatusthe locking member 10 carries the weight of thecharging box only when the latter is in inverted position in the furnacewhile emptying the load. At other times, for example when the box isfilled with scrap, the locking member is relieved of the entire load,this load being taken wholly by the coupling head 50 and heavy crossbars 54 and 58 due to the interconnection between the seats and keeperlugs thereof with the cross bars.

My improved charging box need not be stopped accurately on the downstroke when returning the box to the buggy 20 because the locking pin iswithdrawn while the box is in motion and the sloping surface of the peelwill merely slide the box on the buggy after the peel is still furtherlowered without racking it out. A skillful charging machine operatorwill be able to pick up the box of the present invention and move iteither into or out of the furnace with a sweeping motion and thus saveconsiderable time in handling the charging boxes.

Since the locking member in my novel apparatus is relieved of the weightof the loaded boxes, its useful life will be increased as compared toprior art constructions. A further advantage of the improvedconstruction is that larger bearing surfaces are provided. This willeliminate the causes for overstraining of the box socket and the peelends, thus the life of these parts will be greatly increased.

From the foregoing it is manifest that the improved apparatus shown anddescribed differs structurally from conventional apparatus heretoforeused for a similar purpose, and that because of these differences instructure, imporchamber at the rear of the box, spaced cross bars tantoperating and maintenance economies are secured.

pair of cross bars'at one end of the box, and a hook-like head locatedat an extremity of the peel having respective seats and keeper lugsprojecting upwardly therefrom adapted to be moved upwardly to detachablyengage said cross bars.

2. An openhearth furnace charging machine including a peel adapted to bemoved into and out of the furnace, a charging box having a noveldetachable coupling with the peel comprising a pair of spaced cross barsat one end of the box, a. hook-like coupler head located at an extremityof the peel having respective seats and keeper lugs projecting upwardlytherefrom adapted to be moved upwardly to detachably engage said crossbars, and a shield projecting outwardly from one end of the box over thetop of the extremity of said coupler head and effective to excludeforeign matter which would tend to interfere with the interengagement ofsaid keeper lugs and said cross bars.

3. An open hearth furnace charging machine including a peel adapted tobe moved into and out of the furnace, a charging box comprising a bottomwall, side walls, a front wall and a back wall, portions of the sidewalls being extended beyond the back wall thus forming an open endedchamber at the rear of the box, spaced cross bars located in saidchamber and extending from side wall to side wall, the back wall havingan upper rearwardly extended shield portion engaging one of said crossbars, and a coupler head secured to the extremity of the peel and havingrespective seat portions and keeper lugs for detachable engagement withsaid cross bars.

4. An open hearth furnace charging machine including a peel adapted tobe moved into and out of the furnace, a charging box comprising a bottomwall, side walls, a front wall and a back wall, portions of the sidewalls being extended beyond the back wall thus forming an open endedlocated in said chamber and extending from side wall to side wall, theback wall having an upper rearwardly extended shield portion engagingone of said cross bars, a hook-like coupler head secured to theextremity of the peel and having respective seat portions and keeperlugs for detachable engagement with said cross bars, a locking membermovable longitudinally of the peel adapted to coact with one of saidcross bars, and a guideway in said coupler head with which said lockingmember slidably coacts.

5. An open hearth furnace charging machine including a peel adapted tobe moved into and out of the furnace, a charging box comprising a rolledsteel bottom plate, rolledsteel side wall plates welded thereto alongtheir lower edges, 8. rolled steel front wall welded to the bottom plateand to the side plates, a back wall plate welded to the bottom plate ata location inward from the rear end of the side walls to thus define anopen ended chamber, upper and lower cross bars bridging said chamber andsecured at their respective ends to said side plates, said back wallhaving an upper rearwardly extended shield portion engaging the uppercross bar, and a duplex hook-like coupler head secured to the extremityof the peel having respective upper and lower seats and respective upperand lower keeper lugs for engagement with said upper and lower crossbars.

6. An open hearth furnace charging machine including a peel adapted tobe moved into and out of the furnace, a charging box comprising a rolledsteel bottom plate, rolled steel side wall plates welded thereto alongtheir lower edges, a rolled steel front wall welded to the bottom plateand to the side plates, a back wall plate welded to the bottom plate ata location inward from the rear end of the side walls to thus define anopen ended chamber, upper and lower cross bars bridging said chamber andsecured at their respective ends to said side plates, said back wallhaving an upper rearwardly extended shield portion engaging the uppercross bar, a duplex hook-like coupler head secured to the extremity ofthe peel having respective upper and lower seats and respective upperand lower keeper lugs for engagement with said upper and lower crossbars, and a locking member movable longitudinally of the peel, saidcoupler head having a guideway formed therein for coaction with thelocking member. WIILIAM MURSCH.

